Blogging at Patheos

I’ve been blogging here at Jesus Creed for, I think, five and a half years. It began one day when an editor friend, Bob Smietana, over coffee suggested that I blog and I asked, “What’s a blog.” He told me, I marched over to my office after coffee, set up shop at Blogger and it took off … rather quicker than anything I expected.

I found blogging to be natural because, as I’ve said before, I have scribbler’s itch. I learned lessons from folks like Steve McCoy and John Raymond, and then we set up our own shop with Dave Anderson building the blog — and I’m so thrilled to have Dave’s design back here at Patheos.

Patton Dodd at Beliefnet pitched their site as a better site for the blog and after some arm-twisting and some compromises on their part, we moved there and have been there for two years. Yes, I heard your complaints and truth be told agreed with nearly all of it, but our intent was to expand the influence of the blog and the blog doubled in page views in two years at Beliefnet.

But Tim Dalrymple at Patheos contacted me when Patheos was just a start-up and I really liked what he was doing. It didn’t even cross my mind that someday we’d move to his site. So let me say this: in spite of some of the hassles at Beliefnet’s humungous site, I appreciate Beliefnet. Ansley Roan was my contact person there and she was amazingly helpful and prompt, and I can be demanding at times with what I think the blog readers want for Jesus Creed. My reasons for leaving had little to nothing to do with Beliefnet and everything to do with Patheos.

Ju-Don Roberts at Beliefnet was as kind and helpful as anyone moving could ever ask. I wish Beliefnet every blessing and I hope their site and blogs flourish.

In short, it’s a better site for me. (Besides having WordPress, which permits us to go back to our old design.) It’s shaped for conversation about religious and theological topics, and it isn’t concerned as much with all the other stuff.

The Jesus Creed blog will not change. I’ll be doing my regular stuff — books and theology and travels and some of my middle-of-the-road and don’t-try-to-figure-me-out politics thrown in. Saturday will have Weekly Meanderings. RJS will continue to be a major contributor, and others will continue to write posts at Jesus Creed as they have been doing at Beliefnet.

Here’s what will change for you: better design and immediate appearance of your comments. I’m not sure how it will work the first week, when we may have to clear names and get possible kinks worked out, but once we get settled, you comment and the comment appears … that creates fast and easy communication and conversation.

Related posts from Jesus Creed:

Scot McKnight is a recognized authority on the New Testament, early Christianity, and the historical Jesus. McKnight, author of more than fifty books, is the Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lombard, IL.

http://christineascheller.wordpress.com Christine A. Scheller

Love it! Feels like home : )

http://arbevere.blogspot.com Allan R. Bevere

I look forward to the change of venue.

Pat

Thanks Scot for making the switch. I’ve been a “follower” of yours, so to speak, since reading Jesus Creed 2 years ago. I appreciate you so much and what you do. You have been a blessing and encouragement in my life. Keep doing what you do for Christ.

http://studyyourbibleonline.com Wesley Walker

I have enjoyed reading you. I’m thankful for beliefnet because it first introduced me to your work. I look forward to reading you here. Really prefer this theme. Also glad to hear that your substance is not changing.

Woohoo! No longer need to try to figure what the heck the captcha says.

rjs

Nice look …

scotmcknight

Kris and I are sitting here smiling at each other and the old template. So glad to see these comforting colors again.

kennyjohnson

Testing my new login.

http://TheOrant.com Billy Kangas

Hey Scot, This is so much better… it makes my soul feel at ease. I hated the belifnet one… it was to busy… filled with Pop-ups and it gave me a headache!

rjs

Best part is the RSS comment feed. This will really help with conversation. (Ok – best part is the color scheme, but RSS is a close second.)

scotmcknight

OK, folks, let’s not give BNet a hard time. They’ve been good to me. Yes, some groans but they have a business to run.

Clay Knick

Love the new old look. Feels like home.

http://restoringsoul.blogspot.com Ann F-R

Scot, will the rich resource of your archives come along with you, here? (I hope!) How about our bookmarked pages — will BeliefNet redirect, or do we need to refind them again?

http://restoringsoul.blogspot.com Ann F-R

By the way, I think the time zone is set for Greenland, Iceland, or somewhere in the middle Atlantic. LOL!

scotmcknight

Ann, yes, the archives are coming and I think that will happen some time this week but maybe not until next week.

And thanks for the time zone note: I think that’s fixed now.

scotmcknight

How’s that? I’ve responded five hours prior to the comments!

http://bryansherwood.com Bryan Sherwood

What a great move! Looking forward to it!

Bryan

Daryl

Glad to be back to the old design; the ads on the right are a little large, but that’s not a big deal.

http://trevinwax.com/ Trevin Wax

Welcome back, Scot! The new look is the old look – and no ads to skip.

Dana Ames

Nice, Scot.

I think I found you about two weeks after you started the first blog on Blogger. I’m still hanging around

Much love to you & Kris.

Dana

http://timmhallman.blogspot.com Tim Hallman

Yeah! Glad you’re “back!”

Scott M. Collins

Very cool! I’ve been reading since the very beginning! Thanks, Scot, for shaping and forming my spiritual life without ever knowing it!

Andie Piehl

Hi there, Scot! Just wanted to drop in and let you know your blog rocks wherever you put it! Look forward to continuing to drop in as I can!

rjs

By the way – great picture to start it out…contemplative pose, thinking about what to write no doubt. (and 8) )

http://karenzach.com karen

Scot: So glad to see you here and love feeling like I’m back in your study with you.

http://www.stephanieseefeldt.com steph seefeldt

Aaaaahhhhhhh. Home.

scotmcknight

I could say thanks to each of you but that would look tacky … but I do want to say a big thanks and soooo glad you folks like the template and the old site. One of the hardest parts of leaving for BNet was not having the wonderful template Dave Anderson designed and to think we can get it back at Patheos is awesome.

John Raymond

This will be a nice change. BTW, those don’t look like adidas in the picture.

scotmcknight

John, I thnk they were Tiger. North coast of Northern Ireland.

youngowen

Seems like a good outcome. Cheerfully, Owen

Carol McLaughlin

This “feels” refreshing…

http://restoringsoul.blogspot.com Ann F-R

Scot, your time changes are exemplary of your ancient-future focus. Excellent! I like the page feel/look better, too.

http://www.theodigital.com Chris Ridgeway

Yep – feels old school! nice.

http://www.theodigital.com Chris Ridgeway

ps – gotta get that top/banner/home link working again so it defaults to home.

http://www.godhungry.org Jim Martin

Scot, really like this look! This page really has a great feel as well. Glad you made the move.

Matt Edwards

Yeah! The old look is back. And no pop-ups?!

http://www.jrwoodward.net JR Woodward

Scot,

Looks like a great move. I appreciate how you enrich the blogosphere. Peace.

Ted Johnson

Great new site! Looking forward to continuing the journey with you here at Patheos.

Rick

Cannot help but smile when seeing the return to this design. Great move.

eric

“the medium is the message” even works in a blog community. It just feels better here with the old theme back.

http://www.soulgardeners.com Tom Smith

As we would say in South Africa, “Lekker!”

Terry

Somehow I feel like I just went to a family reunion. It’s great to be gathered under this banner once again; I’m quite thankful for the moving archives too. Scot, are you going to be allowed to point from jesuscreed.org?

http://cheriegate.org William Cheriegate

Good switch, I’ve been enjoying you since Facing the Tsunami years ago. How many North Park students are arriving with iPads this year?

http://evangelical.patheos.com T. Dalrymple

Can I just say how thrilled we are that Scot is joining us? Scot has been a good friend from the start, often linking to our articles, offering advice to me, and contributing to our recent series on the Future of Evangelicalism. I have tremendous respect for Scot and for the community that reads and comments on his posts. So we are beyond thrilled to have Scot on the site, we’re grateful to Beliefnet for their amazing level of cooperation, and we’re eager to do everything we can to make Scot and the Jesus Creed community comfortable here.

Please note that we are still making adjustments, working on bringing over the archive, etc. The goal is to have everything more or less settled by September 1 — but I’m glad the feedback so far, regarding the look and feel, is positive.

Scott Eaton

Very excited! It feels like coming back home!

Terry Tiessen

I’m very pleased about this. My major frustration with Beliefnet was that I could not subcribe to comments on a post. I had to bookmark the blog address and keep checking back if I wanted to follow comments.

It is nice to have comment subscription back again!

Christine

Yeah. Yeah. Can I just say, YEAH???!!!

Christine

The google ads on the right and the oil change ads at the bottom. . . they’re not staying, are they? Maybe I’m naive in hoping for commercial free? Yeah, probably!

http://transformingseminarian.blogspot.com Mark Baker-Wright

Glad to see it!

http://abisomeone.blogspot.com Peggy

Looking forward to this, Scot … now I’m wondering whether the feel of community at the old “One T Saloon” will return, as well. Time will tell, eh?

Dianne P

!Gracias a Dios!

Home sweet home.

And about that time zone glitch, does anyone remember the SNL skit on Fed Ex - “When it absolutely positively had to be there – yesterday!” Talk about ancient -future. Wow-zie.

Yo – Peggy! Now I am feeling old school. Warm and fuzzy all over.

http://communityofjesus.wordpress.com/ Ted M. Gossard

Deb and I were just smiling, too. This is wonderful! It feels like a welcome home for you, and for all of us.

Riley Allen

Looks good over here.

http://evangelicalmonk.com Bill

Great move. Nice surroundings.

Clay Knick

BTW, Love the hat. I wear them a lot!

Luke

Much, much better. Please don’t ever look back

http://pocketsizedfaith.com Aletheia

I’m so glad you are back to your old WP format. One thing I might suggest would be a “subscribe to comments by email” plugin. It’s very handy.

http://foolishsage.com Mark Traphagen

As others have said, feels like coming home.

Aaron

Keep it going scot – You are always a breath of fresh air in the blogosphere!

http://johnalchin.info John Alchin

Looking forward to continuing to read and comment on your posts. Have a blessed day. From Oz..

Dianne

This is good news!

http://www.patheos.com/community/members/JCarlGregg/ Carl Gregg

Welcome to Patheos

Dn4sty

Comment to clear my name. Not sure of the all the new features, but will still definitely follow the blog.

http://robopa.blogspot.com Rob

Awesome, can’t wait!

Johnny Melton

Looking forward to following Jesus Creed at the new site.

http://zetountes.blogspot.com Marcus

Looking forward to this next phase in the Jesus Creed blog!

http://www.andyrowell.net/ Andy Rowell

“Got it” is apparently too short a comment for Patheos to accept–let’s try this one.

Annabel Robinson

Love your blog!

http://www.gettingfree.wordpress.com T

Ahhh . . . it takes me back.

MatthewS

You can’t cross the same river twice but I do prefer this, the erstwhile and now again the present layout. Back to the future!

http://Tiedtoarocket.blogspot.com pdr

Will read everyday, as I have for most of the last five years, with much gratitude…

NancyS

Wonderful… happy to see this format.

http://inchristus.wordpress.com Paul D. Adams

Clean[er]! Viva WordPress!!

J-Marie

I agree with Peggy! Was going to mention the ol’ saloon feel myself!

http://transintegration.net/ Darren King

Deja vu. Something looks familiar here, no?

http://www.virtuphill.blogspot.com phil_style

wow! looks (and feels) like the JCreed of old! excellent.

Nick

I love the photo scott…looks like Ireland. I hope that you enjoyed your stay.

nitika

looking forward to it

gingoro

No mystery words to enter to comment, GREAT! I usually use Thunderbird but sometimes I had to switch to IE to get the captcha to pass.

http://edgentry.blogspot.com Ed Gentry

Welcome home……

http://bramboniusinenglish.wordpress.com brambonius

I do remember this template. I was only a reader then, and I’ve never been more than an occasional commenter. But I like this new old style and I like the things patheos are doing too!

May God use the new site to advance His Kingdom!

Bram

Phillip

The new site looks good. I look forward to the end of pop-up ads!

rising4air

Nice graphics redux, and a great word on your departure from Beliefnet.

In order to comment and have the comment appear at this site, a person must be “cleared” or have one comment approved. This evidently “sets” a name as safe and never has to be done again. We did this, I think, before we went to Beliefnet but many may not remember it.

Brian

Love the old look…this looks great!

Cole Cochran

Since I was a big fan of your original site, I’m really looking forward to this move. Hope the new digs at Patheos are everything you hope for.

megan

Definitely missed having the personality of this look. Should be fun…

bill crawford

Good move – what kind of house-warming present would you like?

AJ

Looks great, Scot!

http://nojrotsap.blogspot.com jon snyder

So glad to have the old look back. Less clutter as well. I may not add this to my rss so I can see it how she’s meant to be.

Chuck Wilson

I look forward to getting Jesus Creed from Patheos.

Marc

This blog looks good. I hope to see more.

Dottie Schulz

keep me on you list…thanks

http://www.oymunitedchurch.net Chris Miller

Onward and upward!

http://www.abcwesterville.org Mark Farmer

The Jesus Creed has been a nomadic community. Is this the Promised Land? At least for now!

http://garyfeister.blogspot.com Gary Feister

God bless you in the new location!

Aaron

So glad to be on a new site! No more annoying pop up adds from belief net! YaY

Jonathanblake

Ditto on Mark Farmer’s (103) comment. Have we made it to the land of milk and honey yet?

http://wjcsydney.wordpress.com Wendy

Looking forward to visiting with the Jesus Creed community in your new home…

Great to see the old style of JesusCreed back again, Scot! Hopefully easier to navigate than beliefnet.

http://rhymeswithplague.blogspot.com Bob Brague

Glad to see the original format again. It does feel like home.

Don

I love it…no more pop-ups!!

krister

Great! Like this design and did not like the pop ups on the other one

Tim Franklin

I’ve been reading for a long time. This seems so familiar. I like it a lot!

http://www.jrbriggs.com J.R.

Welcome home, Scot! Glad you’re back.

http://achorusofehoes.wordpress.com/ Jon

Glad to have the look and feel of what Jesus Creed was back then. This feels more like home. Always loved this look and feel to the blog!

Jen Boes

Glad the dialogue continues! Being a visual person who loves gardening and fiber art, I really resonate with the warm colors and tactile feel.

Rick

glad to continue the discussion…

Brandon K.

Looking forward to enjoying the blog at its new home; also looking forward to exploring the rest of the Patheos site.

http://henriet.sempervita.org Henriet Schapelhouman

It’s great to see the old/new design. Looking forward to what’s next at your new “home.”

http://www.TheFaithLog.com Jeff Doles

Not having to deal with the “nag” screens when I come to your blog now will be a benefit.

EricG

Is it possible we’ll actually miss the odd captcha phrases?

E.G.

Glad, as always to be following your excellent blog… wherever it may call home.

Napman

An old look at a new site! Congratulations!

http://whateverthings.org Carl Franzon

Looking forward to more good conversations.

Rick B

look forward to the new site.

http://oncoffee.blogspot.com michael bells

looking forward to the new/old look with the usual great content

Jerry

Looking forward to continuing the conversation!

Peter

Very appreciative of all your hard work.

Deborah

thank you for all that you do Scot – Jesus Creed is a daily read!

Nick

the site looks great!

Diane

I like the return of the “classic” look.

Diane

RD

Just wanted to drop a comment to get my name in the approval “hat”. Looking forward to the move!

http://www.sequimur.com/banditsnomore Richard H

I’ll be watching…

paul

looking forward to the change

BPRjam

Looking forward to the change, though format doesn’t really matter that much to me. Content is king!

angusj

Site looks great. Just wish the text area was a little wider.

God-fearing Gentile

I’ve appreciated the civility of the discourse in this blog community, though mostly as an observer. I remember the “classic” look and welcome the return to it. Thanks for the invitation to comment.

RichardS

Looking forward to the new format. Already shows up a lot better for readability. I thought I’d add an initial to my first name to help distinguish from the other “Richards” popping up.

Will we have a chance to dialogue about the non-political religious rally this past Saturday?

http://vanguardchurch.blogspot.com/ Bob Robinson

Am I logged in yet? I just LOVE seeing this blog set up like this again. Reminds me of the old days – I remember talking to you on the phone, walking you through some of those early technical difficulties as you were trying to figure out this whole blogging thing!

scotmcknight

Yes, brother Bob, you are in and approved … blessed if I may so! I remember your help too, Bob, and sorry I forgot to mention you … you were the first former student to call me about blogging when I first began.

If a comment appears under your name, you’re in.

We’re working out kinks with ads right now.

http://www.priestfield.org.uk Jared H

thanks for the time you spend blogging Scot – have found it very helpful over the years, but a bit expensive at times when I keep buying the books you recommend. Keep up the good work and I’ll try to keep passing on the good things to others. (Looking forward to ‘James’ coming out!) Blessings

http://www.thetimehascome.wordpress.com JamesG.

Loving the new/old digs!

http://wsvanderlugt.wordpress.com Wes Vander Lugt

I look forward to taking part in the new and improved Jesus Creed at Patheos!

http://faithinireland.wordpress.com Patrick Mitchel

I’m wondering which bit of the west coast of Ireland the photo was taken. Nice to see the original look back again and blessings with the move. Blog on!

scotmcknight

Patrick, I think it was where that bridge is. Sorry, Patrick, I mean the rope bridge up in Northern Ireland.

Patrick Mitchel

Ah, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge on the North Coast

Dave D

I love the absence of popups and how all the comments appear on one page for seamless reading. Great move.

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Read Scot’s Books

The real Mary was an unwed, pregnant teenage girl in first century Palestine. She was a woman of courage, humility, spirit, and resolve, and her response to the angel Gabriel shifted the tectonic plates of history.

Join popular Biblical scholar Scot McKnight as he explores the contours of Maryâ€™s life, from the moment she learned of God's plan for the Messiah, to the culmination of Christ's ministry on earth. McKnight dismantles the myths and also challenges our prejudices. He introduces us to a woman who is a model for faith, and who points us to her son.

What is the 'Christian life' all about? Studying the Bible, attending church, cultivating a prayer life, witnessing to others---those are all good. But is that really what Jesus has in mind? The answer, says Scot McKnight in One.Life, lies in Jesus' words, 'Follow me.'

What does it look like to follow Jesus, and how will doing so change the way we live our life---our love.life, our justice.life, our peace.life, our community.life, our sex.life---everything about our life.

This book examines conversion stories as told by people who have actually undergone a conversion experience, including experiences of apostasy. The stories reveal that there is not just one "conversion story." Scot McKnight and Hauna Ondrey show that "conversion theory" helps explain why some people walk away from one religion, often to another, very different religion. The book confirms the usefulness--particularly for pastors, rabbis, and priests, and university and college teachers--of applying conversion theory to specific groups.

Parakeets make delightful pets. We cage them or clip their wings to keep them where we want them. Scot McKnight contends that many, conservatives and liberals alike, attempt the same thing with the Bible. We all try to tame it.

McKnight's The Blue Parakeet has emerged at the perfect time to cool the flames of a world on fire with contention and controversy. It calls Christians to a way to read the Bible that leads beyond old debates and denominational battles. It calls Christians to stop taming the Bible and to let it speak anew for a new generation.

The gravity point of a life before God is that his followers are to love God and to love others with everything they've got. Scot McKnight now works out the "Jesus Creed" for high school and college students, seeking to show how it makes sense, giving shape to the moral lives of young adults. The Jesus Creed for Students is practical, filled with stories, and backed up and checked by youth pastors Chris Folmsbee and Syler Thomas.

"When an expert in the law asked Jesus for the greatest commandment, Jesus responded with the Shema, the ancient Jewish creed that commands Israel to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength. But the next part of Jesus' answer would change the course of history.

Jesus amended the Shema, giving his followers a new creed for life: to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength, but also to love others as themselves. Discover how the Jesus Creed of love for God and others can transform your life.

"Scot McKnight stirs the treasures of our Lord's life in an engaging fashion. He did so with The Jesus Creed, and does so again with 40 Days Living the Jesus Creed. Make sure this new guide for living is on your shelf." --Max Lucado

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And...love your neighbor as yourself."

Scot McKnight has come to call this vital teaching of our Lord the Jesus Creed. He recites it throughout the day every day and challenges you to do the same. You may find that, if you do, you will learn to love God more creatively and passionately, and find new ways to love those around you.

What was spiritual formation like during the time of Jesus? As Scot McKnight points out, the early Christians didn't sing in the choir or go to weekly Bible studies, and yet they matured inwardly in relationship with God as well as outwardly in their relationships with each other. How did this happen?

In The Jesus Creed DVD, explore with Scot how the great Shema of the Old Testament was transformed by our Lord into the focal point for spiritual maturity. According to the Jesus Creed (found in Mark 12:29-31), loving God and loving others are the greatest commandments.

Is the practice of faith centered solely on the spirit? Is the body an enemy, or can it actually play a role in our pursuit of God? In this installation of the Ancient Practices Series, Dr. Scot McKnight reconnects the spiritual and the physical through the discipline of fasting.

The act of fasting, he says, should not be focused on results or used as a manipulative tool. It is a practice to be used in response to sacred moments, just as it has in the lives of God's people throughout history. McKnight gives us scriptural accounts of fasting, along with practical wisdom on benefits and pitfalls, when we should fast, and what happens to our bodies as a result.

McKnight discusses the value of the church's atonement metaphors, asserting that the theory of atonement fundamentally shapes the life of the Christian and of the church. This book, the first volume in the Living Theology series, contends that while Christ calls humanity into community that reflects God's love, that community then has the responsibility to offer God's love to others through such missional practices of justice and fellowship.

Scot McKnight, best-selling author of The Jesus Creed, invites readers to get closer to the heart of Jesus' message by discovering the ancient rhythms of daily prayer at the heart of the early church. "This is the old path of praying as Jesus prayed," McKnight explains, "and in that path, we learn to pray along with the entire Church and not just by ourselves as individuals."

Praying with the Church is written for all Christians who desire to know more about the ancient devotional traditions of the Christian faith, and to become involved in their renaissance today.

In the candid and lucid style that has made McKnight's The Jesus Creed so appealing to thousands of pastors, lay leaders, and everyday people who are searching for a more authentic faith, he encourages all Christians to recognize the simple, yet potentially transforming truth of the gospel message: God seeks to restore us to wholeness not only to make us better individuals, but to form a community of Jesus, a society in which humans strive to be in union with God and in communion with others.